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India tells e-Visa travelers to verify ETA before departure

Foreign nationals have been urged to verify ETA details through the official portal before travelling to India.

 The Bureau of Immigration said travellers should verify their ETA details and check visa conditions after arrival in India. The Bureau of Immigration said travellers should verify their ETA details and check visa conditions after arrival in India. / File Photo/Gemini

The Bureau of Immigration (BoI), Government of India, has issued an advisory for foreign nationals travelling to India on an e-Visa, urging them to verify their Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) details through the official government portal before beginning their journey.

According to a post published on the Bureau's official X account, travellers should verify the validity of their ETA only through the official e-Visa website, indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa, and avoid relying on third-party websites that may provide inaccurate or misleading information.

Also read: BOI details mandatory process after foreign citizenship is acquired in India

The Bureau clarified that an ETA is not an e-Visa itself. Rather, it is an authorization that permits a traveller to board a flight to India. The actual e-Visa is granted only after immigration authorities verify the traveller's documents upon arrival and stamp the passport at the immigration counter.

The advisory asked travellers to carefully review three dates displayed on their ETA before travelling: the Date of Issue, the Valid From date, before which entry into India is not permitted, and the Valid Until date, after which entry will also be denied.

The Bureau noted that the final validity of the visa is determined by the e-Visa stamp placed in the passport upon arrival.

Travellers were also advised to check the duration of stay permitted under their visa by reviewing the "Continuous stay on each entry" and "Maximum stay in India in one calendar year" fields listed on the ETA. The advisory also recommends confirming whether the visa permits single, double, triple or multiple entries.

After clearing immigration, the Bureau said foreign nationals should verify the visa category, expiry date and number of permitted entries printed on the passport stamp. Any discrepancies or doubts should be brought to the attention of the immigration officer before leaving the counter.

The advisory is consistent with information available on India's official e-Visa portal, which instructs applicants to carry a printed copy of their ETA while travelling and ensure that its application status is marked "GRANTED" before departure.



The portal also states that biometric details are collected from all e-Visa holders upon arrival in India. It further notes that e-Visas are non-extendable and non-convertible, and are not valid for travel to Protected, Restricted or Cantonment areas without prior government approval.

The Bureau also reminded travellers of another immigration requirement introduced earlier this year. Since April 1, 2026, all foreign nationals and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders have been required to submit an e-Arrival Card online within 72 hours before their scheduled arrival in India, replacing the earlier paper disembarkation form.

The Bureau reiterated that visa validity corresponds to the duration and conditions specified for each category, that the permitted stay begins from the date of entry into India, and that foreign nationals are required to depart the country before the visa expires to avoid overstaying.

Discover more at New India Abroad.

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